Love waits
by Gining
Summary: Responce to an aurikku Lj challenge fic. Rikku hurts and needs the words of an older guardian for the strength to go on with life.


A/n: responce to an Lj challenge. In between all my other works I picked this one too. Oh well, I like to overwork myself.

Well you know the rules, read review. yada yada ya... Gin does not own this, she doesn't even own the idea. That's why it was a challenge fic.

Rules: Length doesn't matter, but your story MUST incorporate ALL these things: One of the songs from the selection below, a rose, a mirror and a match.

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Gone, that's all she could think of. He was gone and she was still here. It wasn't fair. He helped fight sin too. He helped fight sin, then Yuna sent him. But it's not as if she could be upset at her cousin. After all, even Yuna had lost someone. Tidus had at least gone in a dramatic leap off the airship. But he, he had gone in a cloud of pyerflies.

The remaining five of them went back below deck of the ship. Cid noticed his daughter's upset expression first, but was unable to say anything. She had disappeared too quickly. Yuna was the second to leave. He guessed she went to her cabin to cry. Better not disturb them.

"Where now?" Brother asked when no one said anything.

Lulu was the one to speak up. "Perhaps we should go back to Besaid for now. We can think of what to do next from there."

"Agreed. Set a course for Besaid." Cid told his son. "It will take a few hours to reach the island. Till then, make yourselves comfortable." He said before leaving the bridge.

Lulu and Wakka took him up on the offer and left to go find a place to talk privately. Kimahri stayed where he was. He had nothing better to do anyway.

Cid wandered the corridors searching for his daughter. As he passed one cabin, he could faintly hear sobbing coming from within. At fist he brushed it off as the sounds of his niece. That was until she spoke.

"Why did you have to go? Why? I never got to say good bye." The sobs continued from then.

He paused for only a moment too stunned to move. She couldn't have been talking about that boy, could she? Certainly, it couldn't be...He shook his head to brush that thought away. He knocked gently on her door. "Rikku, can I come in?"

The sobbing stopped and he feared she was trying to ignore him. The door opened shortly after that. "Cunno, Vydran." She whispered.

"Sorry? Rikku, what are you sorry for!"

She moved aside and he could see shattered glass on the floor around her feet. She looked ashamed at having been caught.

"What on Spira happened in here?" Cid snapped only to realize too late that was not the thing to say.

"I'm sorry. I saw something in the mirror, and it scared me." She replied softly. "I guess I got carried away."

Cid's expression softened. "Look, Rikku, the mirror is no big deal." He put his hands on her shoulders to steady her. "We can replace that. Now I don't know what has gotten you so upset, but I think you need to lay down for a bit. I'm going to go check on Yuna. We can clean this up together when you wake up."

Silently she agreed. The tears she shed wore her out more then she wanted to admit. Rikku stepped around the glass carefully and lie on her bed. She quickly fell asleep and began to dream.

_The love you lost with her skin so fair_

_Is free with the wind in her butterscotch hair_

_Her green eyes bloom goodbyes_

_With her head in her hands and her kiss on the lips of another_

_Dream brother_

_With your tears scattered round the world_.

A green and red vine climbed the wall as the moon shone down on it. Rikku walked up to it and plucked a single flower from its spot. She inhaled the sweet fragrance that was a rose. It was beautiful, beautiful and deadly. Just like the man she once knew. He wore red just like the rose in her hand. She switched hands, why she did not know. But as she did so, a thorn pierced her skin letting drops of red fall to the ground at her feet. She let out a surprised 'Oh' before dropping the flower to settle with her blood.

Allowing herself to fall behind both things, she made herself comfortable. Somehow with out her even knowing how, she was pulling matches from her pocket and burning what had brought her the pain to begin with. It began to wither under the heat and anger of the small flame under it.

A gentle wind rushed by effectively putting out the flame. Rikku could feel it as it wrapped itself around her body and between the strands of her hair. She tilted her head back, eyes closed, and felt as it flowed around her alone. The wind left the grass and vines alone, concentrated on her alone.

A hand reached out and pulled her hand away from the burning flame. It was large and callused, yet seemed so familiar to her. She opened her eyes to see who it was, but was only greeted with the moon and swirling lights above her. The hand let go of her and she dropped her head to her hands and pulled her knees up close. For a moment, she thought it could have been him. The only one who seemed to know her best. Even if he did say little to her. He understood she was still young in the ways of the world. Gently he would answer her questions; gently he would hold her at night when she was scared. Well Rikku was scared now. Where were those arms when she needed them?

An unseen shadow seemed to answer her thoughts. "I'm right here."

Upon hearing this she quickly opened her eyes and searched. "Where? I don't see anything."

"You don't see, because you don't believe." He replied. He reached around her frame and plucked a new rose from the vine behind her. As the flower came away, Rikku could start to see the shape of a hand forming. It wore a black glove, and from that glove was a red sleeve. The image kept forming as pyerflies gathered together until she was able to see the man in front of her.

She gasped in shock before using her small hands to trace his face. "Are, are you real?" She was afraid to say his name lest he was only a figment of her imagination.

"A difficult question to answer I'm afraid." He answered as he allowed her to trace his face and the scar that still marred his face.

Rikku pulled back for a moment before throwing herself at him. "I missed you, you know." She whispered into his coat.

Very slowly he reached his hand up to stroke her hair. "I know. But you must know this can not be." He felt a slight wetness as her tears ran down her cheeks and soaked into his shirt.

"I know, but couldn't I just stay here. Just for now?" She pleaded.

A low chuckle escaped from his throat before he could stop it. "Of course."

They said nothing only sitting in the grass holding one another. It was peaceful until he had to break it.

"Rikku, it is time for you to go. Yuna needs you now." He kissed the top of her head before she pulled away. Her eyes pleaded with him to let her stay, but he nodded as he silently told her no.

She said nothing as they watched each other fade. It was heartbreaking yes, but now Rikku had a peace that she had not had before.

_The love you lost with her skin so fair_

_Is free with the wind in her butterscotch hair_

_Her green eyes bloom goodbyes_

_With her head in her hands and her kiss on the lips of another_

_Dream brother_

_With your tears scattered round the world_.

Many years had passed and a man in red stood silently waiting for the time to come. He had seen many things during the past forty years. Seen a certain blond Al Bhed married but never having children. A lone tear fell as her thought back to that day she found out. Seen as she traveled with her new husband and friends around Spira in search of treasure. He smiled at that memory. A gentle wind blew by tossing his hair around with it.

He closed his eyes and waited. She should be there soon. A figure appeared next to him. Aged yet still as beautiful as the day he left. Her hair had grown since he saw her last. It now reached past her waist and held back in a simple braid.

"I missed you." She whispered softly.

He held his hand out to her waiting for her to accept. She did so without hesitation. She snuggled her head deep into him inhaling the scent that was him. He pulled a rose from the vine and placed it in her hair making sure not to scratch her with the thorns. "I missed you too." He soon whispered back.

"But I am here now, right where I belong. With you."


End file.
